1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lifting device for increasing the performance of a handling apparatus for ISO containers, in particular for increasing the performance of a container bridge in a terminal having automated inward and outward transport of the containers by means of self-propelled transport vehicles, and having at least one container load-lifting means in the form of a spreader and devices for the intermediate positioning of the containers within the handling apparatus for the purpose of fitting or removing the twist locks, and platforms for the personnel occupied in doing this.
2. Description of the Related Art
German Utility Model 297 19 466 has disclosed a handling system for containers in which a container bridge formed by a portal frame is used. The portal frame is supported on a chassis which can be moved along rails parallel to the quay to which a ship is moored. The portal frame has a boom which extends outward beyond the supporting construction, both on the water side and on the land side and to which running rails for a trolley are fitted, the latter transporting containers from the ship to the quay and vice versa with the aid of a spreader. The spreader is designed in such a way that, being locked automatically to the container by means of manipulation by the crane driver, it can be brought into engagement or out of engagement with them.
The productivity-determining factor of such a handling apparatus is the time taken for one load cycle of the trolley, namely the time which is needed to convey the containers between the standing areas and the removal or fitting of the twist locks. As is known, these are used to secure the containers stacked on top of one another on the standing areas against slipping during transport, in particular during transport by ship. The containers are locked to one another by the twist locks engaging in openings in the fittings and the parts arranged inside the fittings being rotated. For the most part, semiautomatic twist locks are used which, during loading, are connected to the lower fittings of a container in a prior position. When the container is placed onto another container, the twist locks are automatically latched with the fitting of the lower container, so that these two containers are then firmly connected to each other.
During the unloading of the containers from the standing location, firstly the locks to the respective lower container or the container vehicle are cancelled by the personnel and the respective upper container, with the twist locks still located on it, is conveyed from the ship to the quay. However, before the container is set down onto the surface of the quay, the twist locks have to be removed, which is likewise done manually, by the personnel employed for this purpose reaching under the suspended container and releasing and removing the twist locks manually. Conversely, during loading, the container is firstly lifted to such an extent that the twist locks can initially be inserted into the lower fittings by hand, before the container is transported to its standing location.
A solution disclosed by the German Utility Model 297 19 466 describes the loosening and loading of the containers in two overlapping phases, two trolleys being used, of which the first trolley performs the transport of the container from the ship to a manipulation platform, and the second trolley performs the transport of the container from the platform to the desired track on the surface of the quay. There, a vehicle is ready to accept the container. The two trolleys which transport the containers and overlap in time reduce the productive working cycle time, since it has been established that less time is needed including the removal or the fitting of twist locks for transporting a container between the ship and platform than is needed for transporting the container to the set-down track on the surface of the quay.
However, the disclosed solution is disadvantageous, since although the use of the second trolley in the container bridge increases the handling performance, it entails additional, relatively high investment, servicing and maintenance costs. Furthermore, the platform used in the known solution for the fitting and removal of the twist locks is not suitable for handling tank containers or other special containers (for example refrigerated containers or containers for loading passenger cars). Although the set-down surfaces, explained in the citation, for the container permit free access to the corner fittings, in the case of this technique a closed container bottom is absolutely necessary. However, this is not always ensured in the case of special containers. This means that these containers have to be sorted out and have to be handled separately on the quay by additional personnel.
Starting from the prior art as disclosed by the German Utility Model 297 19 466, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for increasing the performance of a handling apparatus, in particular for ISO containers, which is employed as an inexpensive supplement to the known container handling apparatuses. In addition, the solution, which is cost-effective with regard to procurement and maintenance, is to be suitable for automating the process of the fitting or removal of the twist locks.
In order to achieve the object, the invention proposes that the intermediate positioning of the containers is carried out in a lifting device which can be positioned above the transport vehicles and is suitable for all current ISO container sizes and types and comprises a shaft-like base frame with vertical guides for the container suspended on the spreader, and a lifting frame which engages around the container, is arranged such that it can be raised and lowered underneath the shaft-like base frame and, after the container has been detached from the spreader, can be lowered in the direction of the transport vehicle, together with the container, means for seizing and holding the spreader being provided at the lower end of the base frame and means for seizing and holding the container being provided on the lifting frame, and the platforms for fitting or removing the twist locks being fixed to the lifting device.
Starting from unloading a ship, the novel lifting device according to the invention performs the second part of the handling operation, instead of the second trolley. In this case the container suspended in the corner fittings on the spreader of the trolley of the container bridge is accommodated in the lifting device, specifically irrespective of the size and type of the containers. Since standardized ISO containers are concerned, the novel lifting device is able to use the upper corner fittings, which are always defined clearly in terms of shape and position, to pick up the load. The freely accessible twist locks are removed by the personnel who are located on platforms arranged laterally underneath the containers, so that the automated lifting device can set the container down onto the transport vehicles.
In one embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the lifting device to be arranged in a stationary manner inside the bridge portal of a container bridge, preferably on a connecting beam of the container bridge supports. The lifting device performs part of the handling of the load and therefore reduces the load cycle. The trolley of the container bridge now only ensures the transport of the container between the ship and lifting device, which is firmly connected to the connecting beam of the container bridge supports, to be specific in a position in which the track of the transport vehicle (AGV) runs.
It is more beneficial if, in another refinement of the invention, the lifting device is arranged such that it can be moved inside the bridge portal of a container bridge, preferably on the connecting beam of the container bridge supports. In this case, the connecting beam is the support of the rail running track of a bridge crane, on which the lifting device is fixed such that it can be moved with the latter. In order to transfer the container from the trolley of the container bridge to the lifting device a position is chosen for the lilting device in the container bridge which is optimal for the load cycle. After the lifting device has been loaded, the bridge crane moves under control to a bridge-specific position, determined by a higher-order container terminal logistic system, in order to load the transport vehicle.
The base frame of the lifting device preferably forms a guide shaft which tapers downward, which catches and guides the lowered spreader with the container on its long sides, and which, on its inner sides facing the long sides of the container, is provided with sliding guides which extend vertically and into which two pins engage which can be extended and retracted from the center of the spreader on both sides. The guide shaft catches the container and spreader early, the fine positioning in the longitudinal direction being performed by the extendable pins, by which means the container is moved into the correct locking position.
According to the invention, on the lower end of the base frame, facing the lifting frame, on each long side eight remotely operated load-lifting means locking pins are provided, whose arrangement corresponds with the arrangement of openings in the fittings of the standardized spreader. The invention makes use of the fact that an oval opening is provided in each mounting on the ends of the twist lock mountings of the spreader. A standard spreader has four twist locks, which are set to 20 ft, 40 ft or 45 ft depending on the container size. In the case of a twin-lift spreader, there are two times four twist locks, which are set to 20 ft, 2xc3x9720 ft, 40 ft or 45 ft (a maximum of eight positions per size) depending on the container size. Load-lifting means locking pins, on which the spreader is placed when in its final position, move into the oval openings at the ends of the spreader as it approaches. Reversal of the active and passive functions of the load-lifting means locking is conceivable, that is to say the oval openings are located on the lifting device and the load-lifting means locking pins are mounted in the spreader.
Alternatively, on the lower end of the base frame, facing the lifting frame, on each long side eight support points for a maximum of eight hydraulically remotely operated load-lifting means pivoting stops can be provided, which are arranged on the standardized spreader so that they can be pivoted in and out on the twist lock mountings. The support points accept the weight of the spreader and container after the load has been set down.
In addition, the invention provides that, in the upper area of each long side of the lifting frame, eight remotely operated load-locking pins are provided, whose arrangement corresponds with the arrangement of openings in the fittings of the ISO container. After the spreader is resting on the load-lifting means locking pins of the base frame, the load-locking pins of the lifting frame move into the lateral oval openings in the container corners in accordance with the load-dependent spreader setting. It is preferable if, at this point in time, the lifting frame of the lifting device according to the invention is located approximately at a distance of about 50 mm underneath the base frame, base frame and lifting frame being centered in relation to each other.
Moreover, the invention provides that the lifting frame be suspended on four hydraulic cylinders which are fixed to the base frame and aligned vertically and whose piston-rod heads, acting on the lifting frame, are each provided with a slot extending in the lifting direction. The hydraulic cylinders permit the lifting frame to be lifted with respect to the base frame for the purpose of releasing the twist locks, and lowering the ISO container accommodated in the fitting frame in the direction of the quay or transport vehicle.
In another solution, the load-lifting means is provided with hydraulically operated pivoting stops, each of which is arranged on the spreader-twist lock mountings. In accordance with the load-dependent spreader setting, to 20 ft, 2*20 ft, 40 ft or 45 ft depending on the container size, pivoting stops are operated for which, in the base frame, a maximum of eight load-lifting means support points are provided on each long side for the activated load-lifting means pivoting stops of the spreader. These load-lifting means support points accommodate the weight of the spreader and container after the load has been set down.
The sequences are analogous to those in the solution described first.
Alternatively, the lifting frame can also be suspended on four lifting cables of a cable hoist fixed to the base frame, the cables taking over the function of the hydraulic cylinders.
According to a further feature of the invention, in order to fit or remove the twist locks, provision is made for the platform suspended on the lifting device to be displaceable into a working position beside the container and away from the latter into a standby position. The position of the platform is aligned in such a way that the personnel can fit or remove the twist locks, it being beneficial for the bridge crane to move at the same time from the transfer point of the container to the destination point, that is to say generally to the logistically associated traveling track of the transport vehicle. The working platform is displaced into its standby position again after the twist locks have been fitted or removed and before the lifting frame lowers its load.
A working method for operating a lifting device is defined by the following steps: starting from unloading a ship, the container suspended on the spreader is lowered into the lifting device from above and centered at the same time, the spreader is coupled to the lifting device, the load-lifting means locks provided on the base frame (alternatively on the spreader) being used, the container suspended on the spreader is picked up by the lifting frame, the lifting frame using the upper corner fittings whose position is clear on the container, the lifting frame is lifted slightly on the container, the connection between spreader and container is released, the spreader is retracted, the platforms with the personnel are moved up to the container and the twist locks are released, and at the same time as the container, together with the lifting frame and the platforms, which are moving toward the standby position, is moved into its transfer position, the container, still suspended in the lifting frame, is lowered further with the latter until the container has reached the vehicle.
The pivoting stops pivot over the corner fittings of the container while the container, still suspended in the lifting frame, is being lowered further with the latter, until the container has reached the vehicle. The action of setting the container down onto the vehicle has the effect that the slight distance between the pivoting stops and the corner fittings is reduced to zero.
After the locks between the lifting frame and container have been released, the lifting frame is moved back to the base of the lifting device and is ready to accept a new container.
The novel device is advantageous as a cost-effective supplement to known handling apparatuses. Depending on the container handling apparatus, use is made of a stationary or a mobile design. The costs for procurement and maintenance are estimated to be about 30% lower than conventional solutions, as proposed by the generic prior art. The device is suitable for complete automation and can be inserted subsequently into existing systems.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.